How to Be a Princess
by ArtLover145
Summary: Amy Cahill is a normal eighteen-year-old. Until she finds out her family had made a pact with the royal family: if the Kabras were in need of help from them, the Cahills would be forced to help them out under any circumstances. That's why, to help them prevent Prince Ian from marrying a threat, she's got to pretend to be his fiancée. Set in modern times. Of course, AU!
1. SUV's Biggest Fan

Hey, my name's Elizabeth. Thanks for checking out my story! *insert brunette girl waving here*

Well, I just wanted to drop by and make things a bit clearer: this story takes place in the fictional country, Greensmoor. And this is completely AU, by the way. That said, enjoy and feel free to leave some feedback!

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_Amy's Playlist: Your Biggest Fan-NeverShoutNever_

"Did you hear about Prince Ian?" Molly asks me.

"Uh-huh," I murmur, concentrated on my doodle on my notebook. I giggle, making Molly's hair extra curly.

"Sinead is so lucky," Molly swoons, leaning on her broom. "If the Prince had asked me, I'd definitely said yes."

I nod, quickly drawing a visibly shorter guy next to my cartoon Molly.

"But I see where she comes from. I wouldn't want to marry so young. I'd want to pursue my dream, especially if I were as talented as her," Molly muses. "I'm sure that a few years into the future, we'll hear she discovered the cure for cancer."

I silently laugh, finishing off my brother's face.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Molly demands. She snatches my notebook away, frowning down at my drawing.

"This is one of my best," I tell her, tapping the end of the pencil against my chin. "But there's something missing." After retrieving my notebook, I scribble _Dan plus Molly equals heart_ on top of the two figures.

Molly gasps.

I inspect my drawing affectionately.

Molly is blushing at my younger brother, who is dressed up as Prince Charming, knelt down, holding a bouquet of flowers up to my best friend. Clearly a masterpiece.

Molly slaps the notebook away from my hands. "Hey! Why are you making such stupid drawings? When a friend tells you a secret, you're supposed to keep it, not rub it in her face constantly. Especially if it's embarrassing!"

I smile playfully. "Come on. I don't think it's so bad that Dan's a year younger."

"Okay, first off, my hair's not that curly," Molly replies, pointing accusingly. "And second, I don't like your brother. I liked him back when I was _eleven_. I'm seventeen, about to turn-"

"Dan and Molly sitting in a tree-"

"eighteen-"

"k-i-s-s-i-n-"

"And so are you, so stop acting so childish!"

"I'm not childish!"

"Yeah, you're so mature that instead of studying Math you spent the entire day drawing stupid one-shots of me and Dan last week."

"An artist doesn't need Math, anyways."

Molly's pretty chocolate brown eyes are wide. She's annoyed. "Well, to get into university you-"

"Ladies, you're supposed to be cleaning. Not fighting," out homeroom teacher, Mrs. Spasky, interrupts. She's leaning out the doorway to our classroom.

"Mrs. Spasky, I'm turning eighteen today. Can't you ask another person to clean the hallways for me?" I ask, pointing at myself.

Mrs. Spasky gazes at me as if I were crazy. "Today, you and Molly are in charge of the cleaning task. It's been planned out since the beginning of the month."

"But-"

"No _buts_," she cuts in, her German accent as thick as ever. Mrs. Spasky and her family moved to Greensmoor when I was in ninth grade, and has been my Art teacher ever since. This year she became my homeroom teacher. She closes the door behind her.

I pout, resuming sweeping.

"Hey, at least we're not inside doing nothing like the others," Molly says, sweeping around. "I hate it that this year they gave us study hall at the last period. That's the hour I'm laziest."

"It's weird to hear Ms. Responsibility speak like that," I comment, looking down at the collected dust.

"Please," Molly replies.

I gaze at the classroom, sighing. "Don't you think it's weird no one has said happy birthday-"

"Happy birthday to you!" my class chants, walking out of the classroom. Mrs. Spasky is holding up a small gift box.

I drop my broom, grinning from ear to ear.

Molly is clapping along, and my friends, Hamilton and Jonah, emerge from the hallway. Nellie, one of my guardians, is following them behind. She is our Home Economics teacher, which is the reason why I'm able to attend a private high school. She's towing a birthday cake.

As soon as my classmates finish singing, Hamilton appears behind me and shoves my face into the cake. This garners louder cheers from my friends.

"November 15," Hamilton announces. He smiles down at me. "The day my best friend was born."

"And don't think that words are the only gift you're getting from us," Molly says.

Mrs. Spasky hands the gift to me. "From us to you."

I smile gratefully at the crowd around me before taking it. As soon as I open it, my face glows with glee. I take out a beautiful paintbrush charm from the box.

"It's for your bracelet," Jonah announces, embracing me with one arm.

"Thank you," I say, giggling. I hold it up to Nellie, who clips it to my charm bracelet.

"It makes a nice addition," one girl comments.

"It does," I agree, admiring how pretty it looks.

We eat the cake, and everybody is thankful that Nellie made it. She has a gift for creating delicious food. Sadly, the hype is soon over, and we're all heading home. As I walk out the desolated hallways, I hear some girls whispering about Sinead Starling and Prince Ian.

"Wonder what happened," I whisper as I step out of Greensmoor Day High.

Having a prince at school can be really cool at times. Most of the times, it doesn't really matter. Prince Ian isn't even in the same classes as I, much less elective. His chosen one is photography, which makes him be farther away from my usual building. And unlike my friends, I've never really seen him around the hallways. Which is virtually unbelievable, because we've spent four years in the same high school.

As I cross the streets, I don't notice the royal SUV pulling back from the school.

I do notice when its trunk hits my forehead, though.


	2. I'm Not Really Yours

*Insert brunette red of embarrassment here, ready for the ground to swallow her up*

Gah! LOL Irina isn't German, she's _Russian_! For all of those who corrected me or noticed, I'm sorry, I had completely forgotten until I read the reviews...

Well, other than that, it seems like some of you have questions. So:

JesseCPK: I frequent the message board, and there was once this post Ian made to embarrass Dan. Apparently this Molly girl had asked him to the dance through a letter an all that stuff. She isn't really a character in the actual series. The thing with Ian and Sinead? It isn't really that one. I just wanted to keep it incognito for a while ;) And I don't really know when I plan on updating. I'm hoping at the very least twice a week or so?

mollyhunt0: Well, you really didn't have a question. It was a comment, but: Princess Diaries is my favorite movie, and I got the part of Amy being a lover of the arts from the fact that Mia likes it (and the fact that I also like Art, but that's not the point here...). The rest is completely my idea (hopefully!).

Well, I also want to thank you guys for all the wonderful reviews. As a thank you gift, I updated fast! :D

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_Amy's Playlist: I'm Yours-Jason Mraz_

I blink hard. I have fallen on my butt, and I am sure I look like a dummy, all disoriented and grimacing.

"Miss, are you okay?" an elderly Asian man asks, kneeling next to me.

"I think so," I answer, trying to stand up.

"Ask her name to check for memory loss!"

The Asian man looks at me with expectation.

"Amy Cahill," I answer, rubbing my forehead.

The man sighs in relief.

"Well. Alistair, now that memory loss is out of the way, tell her to sign this."

I gaze upwards. My eyes widen and I sit there, agape, at the sight of none other than Prince Ian Kabra. He is even better-looking in person.

Sure, he now looks slightly snobby and full of it, but his good looks are hard to ignore. The only word I can come up with about his amber eyes, olive-colored skin, jet-black hair, broad forehead, and defined jaw is Prince-Charming-like. And that isn't even a real word.

Alistair hands a paper to me. "By signing this contract, you promise not to disclose anything about what happened today."

I nod, still dizzy. I take the pen from Alistair's hand and sign it.

"If you break the contract," Ian warns. "Don't wonder why you and your family are living in the streets."

Alistair chuckles nervously. "Huh, what he means is that there will be consequences."

"I understand," I reply.

Alistar helps me up. As I dust off my uniform, the elderly man turns to Prince Ian.

"Your Highness, would it be too much to ask if we could ask the chauffeur to take this young lady to her house?" he asks.

I perk up at this.

Ian inspects me, his eyes narrowed. "Sure, why not? Wait... isn't the Home Economic's teacher your guardian?"

"Yeah," I answer, surprised. "You know that..."

"I know everything that there is to know," Ian answers courtly. "Plus, it's sort of impossible to miss you in the hallways talking to her."

I silently gasp. _He has seen me before?_

"Because you're loud," he quickly adds. "What did you think?"

I shrug. "Nothing, really."

Alistair leads me to the back of the car. As he opens the door, I realize I will be sitting next to the prince. Not knowing what to do, I give him a rapid curtsy. Ian bursts out laughing.

I frown in confusion.

Alistair leans closer to me and murmurs. "He's got some good mood swings going on when he finds a young lady interesting."

"That's not true," Ian adds, any hint of a smile disappearing from his face. He crosses his arm, turning to look at the front.

He smiles at me, raising an eyebrow.

I giggle and step inside. The car smells like brand new and clean leather.

As Alistair gets inside the car, the chauffeur turns to look at me. He looks embarrassed. "Miss, I'm so sorry..."

"No, it's okay," I reply. "My head wasn't really in Earth at that moment."

He smiles apologetically at me before turning to look back at the front. From the corner of my eye, I see Prince Ian get out his iPhone and plug some earbuds. _Guess there won't be much talking..._

"Excuse me, where's your house?" Alistair asks.

I give him the directions. Once I'm done, Alistair is frowning, searching some things in his iPad's agenda. "I'm sure that address seems familiar-" He stops short, as he stares at the screen. I can't really see well, but it's got Alistair quite shocked. "Miss, you're Amy...?"

"Cahill," I reply.

Ian's eyes nearly pop out. I glance at him. _Wasn't he listening music in his iPhone?_

He gets a diabolical smile. "Really?"

I nod.

Alistair turns to look at Ian, frowning.

He removes his earbuds, and turns to look at me, still smiling. "Amy, I've got a proposition."

"Yeah?" I reply, quite confused.

There is a mischievous tone in his voice. "See, I'm supposed to marry near the end of this year. However, the duchess I'm going to marry is sort of like a threat. Her family, the Vespers (you've probably heard of them?), have expressed numerous times the urge to steal the throne away from the Kabra dynasty."

To my surprise, Alistair isn't stopping him.

"And they've already tried to. Which is why we think that this is just a plot to steal the throne away. We can't reject it, since they found a way to get my late grandfather to sign a contract, which clearly states I have to marry the duchess. However, there was one thing in the contract... and that is that if I'm already compromised to another girl, they will be forced to break the contract."

I look around, uncomfortable. "Yeah..."

"Which is why I'm going to ask you to be my pretend fiancée," he states.

My mouth drops open in shock.

Alistair turns around in a jolt. "Your Highness-"

Ian waves him off. He turns to look back at me, smiling politely. "What do you say?"

"Uh..." I stammer, looking down. _Is this some kind of joke?_ "I..."

"Please, we're listening," Ian replies.

I blink. "I... no."

"No?" Ian repeats. Surprisingly, instead of angered or shocked, he seems happy by my answer. As if that was the reply he wanted to hear. "Pray, why?"

"Well, if I become your pretend fiancée," I slowly begin. "When the deal ends, that'll follow me everywhere. I won't be able to lead a normal life without people pointing at me and talking about the Prince's ex. I'm more comfortable with being Amy Cahill than the girl who was about to become a princess."

"I see," Ian replies. He is smiling like the cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. "That's an interesting point of view."

"We've arrived," Alistair announces, quite grimly.

I am glad to get off the car. It was getting quite uncomfortable. "Thank you."

As soon as the car drives away and I face my house, I know something's wrong. First off, Aunt Beatrice isn't decorating the outside of the house with Christmas ornaments. Uncle Fiske isn't moving the plants to the greenhouse, preparing his beloved garden for the snow that's about to fall in a few days. And I can't hear either Dan or Nellie causing ruckus.

Plus, there are two SUVs parked in front. The very same model that took me home.


	3. Royal Away

*insert brunette with a platter of virtual cookies*

Virtual cookies for everybody who gave me their wonderful feedback! Actually for everyone who's reading! It's really appreciated :D I know it's taking a while for Amy to begin her acting, but I don't really want to rush things. Rest assured, the real thing is about to begin after a couple of chapters ;) I just need to finish introducing some characters and voila!

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_Amy's Playlist: Blow Away-A Fine Frenzy_

I step inside my house and look around. "Nellie? Aunt Beatrice-"

"In the living room, cheesecake!" Aunt Beatrice exclaims.

I make a quick stop in my room and leave my stuff there before running toward the living room. I stop short as soon as I spot the four suited men sitting on our short sofas. They look so out of place with our lively living room, that I would've burst out laughing if it weren't because I wasn't sure why they were here.

Nellie is standing up, leaning on the wall. She spots me, and her eyes sorrow. "You're home."

I gaze around. The only one who seems pleased is my aunt, who is currently offering some of her healthy cookies to the men.

"Amy, honeypie" Aunt Beatrice begins, grinning at me. "These men are palace officials."

I silently sigh, trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach. More like moths, actually. I try to think up all the possible scenarios of the reason why they are here. _Could it be that I left a scratch in the SUV and they want me to pay it?_ That SUV was certainly a brand new model, and my family would probably have to sell everything to buy another.

I can already see it all. Dan holding on to his video games for his dear life as Nellie fights off the palace officials with her cooking gear. Aunt Beatrice would probably be crying in desperation as the chaos ensues, and Uncle Fiske would most definitely be heading outside, trying to keep his precious plants away from the prying hands of the officials. And I? I can already see myself hiding under the table, Saladin in hand, terrorized as I witness Dan bring out his ninja skills to defend his possessions.

"Ms. Amy Cahill, there is something we need to speak to you about," one of them speaks up. "I'm not sure if Mr. Cahill here would rather be the one to explain it to you, since it is a very serious matter."

I gulp.

Uncle Fiske sighs, staring down at his clasped hands. "I think it'd be better if you explained it, Mr. McIntyre. I've never been good with words. Especially for such a... such a situation."

_Could it be that Prince Ian was mad because I rejected his proposal and had set out to ruin my life?_ It would all be like a soap opera. We, the poor and victimized family. And Ian, the monster-witch who'd look into the distance defiantly as he laughed at our misery. Uncle Fiske would probably end up in a mental hospital, singing Frank Sinatra tunes and counting off his days in tallies on the walls. Aunt Beatrice would still cry in desperation everyday of her life. Dan would end up in comma because of starvation, since his usual ten portions of food a day would probably be reduced to three. Nellie would loose her job, and, being the usual one to always try and solve problems, would end up as a gold digger trying to help our economic situation. Saladin and I would end up living in a box, reminiscing on better days.

"I don't know why everybody is so hesitant to inform our dear Amy of the situation. I, for one, think it's such an amazing opportunity!" Aunt Beatrice exclaims, her green eyes sparkling with hope.

"Please, sit down," Uncle Fiske tells me. "Dan, please hand your sister your spot."

Dan is currently gulping down the snacks set out for the palace officials. He gazes at Nellie, who reprimands him with a fierce glare before he transfers his lanky body to the floor. I primly take his place.

"A long time ago, your grandfather and the late King Winthrop the XIX became very good friends," Mr. McIntyre begins. "Once, he found himself in a very serious situation, and the King helped him out. To thank him, your grandfather made a pact with him, stating that in any circumstances, no matter what, the Cahill family would always be there to help the royal family out."

Nellie purses her lips. I can tell she wants to snap something, but she bites her tongue to stop herself.

"You're probably familiar with the Duchess of Alcott, a rich land neighboring our Greensmoor City," Mr. McIntyre continues.

I look down at our brand new parquet, knowing what is coming next. Ian explained it in the car ride home, after all. Much more in detail than the official, but he got his point across. _Had he known all along that I would have to be his pretend fiancée?_ I remember his mischievous smirk, and come to the conclusion that he is laughing at me now.

"Which is why we'll have to ask you to be his pretend fiancée for a while," the official finishes.

Nellie scoffs, chuckling in amusement. "Ask? More like force."

Fiske closes his eyes. "Nellie-"

"No, how can you just accept this?" Nellie cuts in, standing up straighter in defiance. "Don't you see this will change Amy's life forever? There will be all kinds of trouble while she's lying to the entire nation, even after the engagement is dissolved. Not just that, but do you realize the reputation she'll have right now? The Prince's second-choice. That scandal with the Starling girl will definitely have the press speaking."

My head snaps up.

"It's not that big of a deal," Aunt Beatrice says.

"Yes it is," Nellie begins. "He asked another girl to escape and marry him in another country. How do you think an announcement of an engagement will look now?"

Fiske sighs, looking more uncomfortable than ever.

"If you're going to go through with this, then fine," Nellie spats. "But don't think that you'll be receiving any support from me."

She stomps away in anger, and all the weight of what's coming to me falls down on my shoulders. Paparazzi, gossip, and the Prince himself are the Top Three among my list.

There's a brief silence, but Aunt Beatrice breaks it. "How long will she be pretending?"

"The Queen will decide that," Mr. McIntyre answers. "But we know that to make it more believable, it'll be, minimum, a month."

From the corner of my eyes, I spot Dan pursing his lips in distaste. He pets Saladin to hide it.

"A meeting with her and the royal family is scheduled for today," Mr. McIntyre continues, his shadowy face not expressing any feelings. "Also, from next week and onwards, she'll be living in the palace."

"My mouse will be living in the palace?" Aunt Beatrice repeats excitedly.

"Yes, Miss," Mr. McIntyre replies. "She'll attend events and be taught to become the future Queen of Englad, just to keep it believable."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Aunt Beatrice exclaims. She gazes at the clock. "If there is a meeting with the royal family, you should take her away immediately. I wouldn't want to keep them waiting."


	4. The King ft Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran

*insert brunette waving sheepishly*

So there was yet another mistake. Last chapter, I said that Isabel was the Queen of _England_. It's Greensmoor. Since Isabel is English, I got confused LOL. Also, some of you were surprised at how fast I update :P Well, you see, I have most of the chapters already written or planned out. I just have to edit them and that's it.

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_Amy's Playlist: Everything Has Changed-Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran_

The entire car ride to the palace is spent wondering what i can expect. Somehow, I am not nervous. Until I spot the large and powerful-looking walls dividing the palace from the rest of the world. The castle is located in the outskirts of the city, but Greensmoor is very hilly. So Nottingburgh, the name of the palace, is sitting on a hill that faces the entire city. You can nearly see beyond Greensmoor City.

The car is permitted to pass, and I have to use all my will not to gape at Nottingburgh's majesty. The castle is located on a sloping mountain, so all the floors have at least a portion located with the prairie. This is my first time near the castle, so I'm very amazed. Civilians used to be able to come here and explore the gardens. But the royal advisors, the Rosenblooms, who've been around since the Kabra dynasty began ruling two decades ago, suggested it to be closed to the public. Which is why there's a much smaller replica a bit further into the city.

The car stops, and my door is pulled open. To my surprise, there are maids and officials, all dressed professionally, bowing their heads at me. I'm about to curtsy, but I remember Ian's reaction and opt to better not. Not knowing what else to do, I look down at my fiddling fingers.

However, as soon as the crowd around me dissolves, i begin to discreetly admire my surroundings as I follow the stone path, which is currently covered by fallen leaves. We walk through a beautiful stone bridge on top of a very lively pond, which stretches horizontally. Uncle Fiske would've definitely died thanks to the diversity of greens. A beautiful prairie surrounds the castle. Birds are chirping, and since it's Autumn, it all seems like a paradise of oranges and yellows here. The prairie is prettily covered by leaves, and the trees look enchanting. I welcome the sharpness of the cold weather, having always enjoyed Autumn and Winter.

The French double doors are opened. I step on a creamy-colored marble floor, and my eyes are instantly adverted to the ceiling. In the middle of it, there is a dome-shaped tower-like structure, with slanted skylights.

Before I can continue drooling at the castle's beauty, I spot a familiar face. "Oh."

Jake Rosenbloom smiles at me. "I know you... aren't we in almost all the same classes?"

The Rosenblooms are the advisors, so they also live in the castle.

"Yes," I reply, glad he remembers me. Jake is a really nice person, so I'm both glad and relieved he lives here.

"They didn't tell me the name of the girl who was helping out. If they had, we would've prepared a birthday gift."

I'm surprised he knows today's my birthday. "That's not necessary-"

"It's your birthday?" Alistair asks, emerging from a door.

My smile disappears. He seems like a good-natured man, but I'm not really comfortable with him around after the situation with Prince Ian earlier. He should've stopped the Prince, and it would've made the situation much less awkward.

"Then I apologize even more for running you over earlier," he continues.

Jake's brown eyes widen, and he spots the reddish wound on my forehead. He pushes a strand of hair back, grimacing as he inspects it even closer. And I just stand there, feeling my heart beat faster at the proximity. I guess it's safe to say I have a crush on him.

"I'll take it from here, Jake," Alistair tells Jake.

He smiles charmingly at me, and I feel myself fluster at his gaze.

"I'll look forward to seeing you everyday," he tells me, before heading outside.

Alistair motions at another set of doors, and directs me inside. It seems like a living room.

"This is where we greet guests," Alistair explains. "You'll be meeting the royal advisors and the King here. Then, we'll move on to the second floor, where you'll have a chat with the Queen and the Princess. And then, you'll see Prince Ian."

I nod, gulping at the mention of the royal family.

He smiles, looking for the right words to say to me. "You'll have to watch out when you're around Jake. I'm a very observant person, but I think it's a bit obvious that you harbor feelings for him."

I gasp, feeling my face redden in embarrassment. "What? How did you... please, keep it a secret."

"I've never been a fan of gossip. Besides, wouldn't it be weird if in ancient man like me would be speaking of a young girl like you?" he replies.

I giggle. "I guess."

"Now, some pointers," Alistair begins. "When they come, bow your head down. You do that to greet the King. Even the Prince and the Queen. Mr. Rosenbloom is very kind, so he'll probably be the first to talk to you. The King... well, as you might know, he's known for being serious. So don't think he doesn't like you. He'll seem awkward, because the advisor probably instructed him to act kindly to you."

I have to laugh at this. The King? An awkward penguin? For some reason, I imagine him flopping down the streets dressed up as a penguin. I bite my lower lip to suppress laughter and quickly shake the thought away. Sometimes, the most random things come up to my head.

The doors, coming from a hallway that leads upstairs, burst open and in comes Mark Rosenbloom.

He is grinning, slightly out of breath. Shaking my hand, he motions at the door with his head. "King Vikram the I is coming."

Just in that moment, the King steps inside. If you are imagining him in rich and medieval garments, they you're wrong. He is in a very expensive-looking suit. And he would've looked serious, if it wasn't for that weird grimace in his face.

"It's his smile," Alistair discreetly murmurs.

I'm glad to bow my head, because I was about to giggle at the expression.

"Please," the King begins. "Sit down."

Alistair motions at the elegant sofa across the King's. I quickly take a sit, and Alistair takes the spot next to me.

"Cookies?" Mark offers, motioning at the platter set out in front of me.

My eyes nearly pop out. They're all sugar cookies. My favorite. I nod, taking one (or two) with the prettiest frosting design. One thing I love of sugar cookies is when they have frosting drawings or however you call them.

The King begins to chat with me, and it seems like the advisor's duty is to keep me comfortable. They begin to mention things that I like regularly. _Too_ regularly. _How do they know? Had they been spying me all along?_ A palace official would be too obvious if they'd sent one. Then it strikes. One of my friends had gone rogue for a while. Either Molly, Hamilton, or Jonah had been spying me and knew all along.

The King looks like he wants to say something. He decides against it, and hands Mark a sort of telepathic message.

He nods and turns to look at me. "You seem like a really nice and trustworthy girl, we look forward to see you around the palace. We also want to thank you for helping us out."

_I was forced, but, alright._ I smile, nodding.

They stand up, and Alistair pokes my shoulder. We follow suit and bow our heads as they leave the room.

"Time to meet the Queen," Alistair announces.

I don't have a good feeling about this.


	5. T-E-A Spells Out Disaster

*Insert brunette girl eating... and eating... and eating... until she realizes she's under the spotlight*

Hey guys! So I just wanted to give a shout out to my new beta, creamtherabbit77. As I already did (a million times before), I want to thank her for taking time to check out my story :P Sorry for those who were excited about Natalie! Don't worry, she'll appear soon.

* * *

_Amy's Playlist: LDN-Lily Allen_

Alistair has left me for a while, since he has to attend some things downstairs. His presence makes the castle less intimidating. So now that he's gone, the height of the ceilings and the very expensive-looking decor makes me feel as if with one step, everything will come crumbling down.

I walk around the former Queen Olivia the XX's study room. I've come to the conclusion that she enjoys vintage very much. The wallpapers are vintage, the rugs are vintage, and so is the rest of the furniture.

Someone knocks on the door. A butler appears, and he slightly bows his head. "I'm just bringing in the tea."

"Oh, I'll take it," I say, carefully grabbing the tray.

"The Queen will soon be here," he announces before leaving the room.

I turn around, and careful not to bump into one of the small tables in the corner (which has a very expensive-looking vase on top), I set it on a shelf nearby. The center table is currently occupied by trinkets, and I don't want to be the one to push them away.

I spot a few family pictures near the Queen's desk. I smile at one, which has Prince Ian, grinning toothlessly, and Princess Natalie, waving.

"How can such a cute little kid turn into a mischievous guy like him," I say, inspecting the picture. It's pretty clear that I resent him for his stunt back in the car. I'm sure that the first thing he'll do when I walk into his study will be smirk and burst out into snobby laughter. I scrunch up my nose in displeasure and move to the next picture. This one's of the entire family in what looks like a motorboat. They were probably sailing the large Clearwater Lake down south.

I head over to the next exhibit, where many records are displayed. I smile, recognizing most. Frank Sinatra takes the spot for most records, though. I glance at the door. Next to it, there's the table holding the vase and the shelf holding the tray. I inspect the tray closer. It seems as if can tip over in any minute. I head over to it. Just as I'm about to move it, I hear a small commotion outside. See, I'm jumpy. Meeting the royal family while about to become their fake princess is quite nerve-wrecking. So I gasp, jumping toward the open door. There's no one. But my hip bumps into the table. I gasp even louder, and quickly move to keep it from falling.

"Oh, thank God," I sigh, feeling my fingers wrap around the cold porcelain. I slowly put it back in place and gaze up at the tray. "If I don't want it to break, better move it right now..." On my tiptoes, I manage to safely bring the tray down. I smile, relieved, and turn around-

Clash!

My mouth drops open, realizing I crashed into someone.

Queen Isabel.

I bow my head down, grimacing. "I'm so sorry, your Majesty."

There's a light-hearted laugh. I slowly look up. While Queen Isabel's face is distorted into a murderous glare, and her outfit is stained with tea, the former Queen Olivia is laughing.

"Oh, you'll surely be something," she announces.

She helps me to pick up the cups (which, thank God, didn't break), and convinces me that Queen Isabel's outfit wasn't so into style anymore, to which the present Queen replies with another glare.

Alistair appears into the room and hands me a consoling gaze before motioning me to sit on the cushions. Queen Isabel is sizing me down. Gladly, Queen Olivia is friendly.

"I hear you like art, dear?" she asks, sipping her tea.

I nod, not daring to look at any in their eyes. I'm still embarrassed by my previous ruckus. "Yes, your Highness."

"I also hear that it keeps you from getting better than mediocre grades," Queen Isabel quips.

I slightly slump my shoulders, feeling more than intimidated.

"Well, an artist doesn't need Chemistry or Math," Queen Olivia replies. She giggles at me, which garners a thankful smile.

"Oh, I'm sad that Princess Natalie can't be here today. She really appreciates art. I'm sure that when she comes back from England, you two will have wonderful conversations," Queen Olivia continues.

"Mother, Prince Ian also enjoys art," Queen Isabel mentions.

The former Queen's face brightens. "Oh, goodness, that's right! Isn't it so wonderful?"

"However, I'm not sure if he's too much into doodles," Queen Isabel remarks, briefly glancing at me reproachfully.

Yeah, she hates me.

The rest of the conversation goes by. Sadly to say, it feels like hours. Queen Isabel keeps belittling me, while Queen Olivia tries to raise my tattered dignity from the ground. And I just sit there, grimacing and wishing it's all over.

The next thing I know, Alistair is leading me to the Prince's study. I'm so enthralled into the failure of the meeting with Queen Isabel to feel nervous.

"She's like that with everyone new she meets," Alistair assures me. "I still remember when she first interviewed me..."

"You're slightly late, aren't you, my lovely fiancée?" a mocking voice behind us announces.

We both turn around, and my eyes darken at the sight of Prince Ian. He's gazing at his watch, shaking his head.

"If you want to be Princess Amy, then you should learn how to be a princess," he tells me. "First rule, never be late."

"I'm not even going to be your real fiancée," I reply, trying to add a friendly chuckle.

He shakes his head. "You shouldn't go around announcing that. Not everybody else knows, so keep your blabbering mouth shut, and everything will be fine."

My mouth parts open in surprise.

Alistair chuckles nervously. "What Prince Ian meant was-"

"No need for your analysis, she knows what I meant," Prince Ian cuts in, cockily walking toward us. "Could you please wait for us outside my study? I'd like to have a private chat with Miss Cahill here."

I look away. Sarcastic tone, cocky manners, and rude... yes, Aunt Beatrice, I see what a wonderful opportunity this is.

Alistair has no other choice than to comply. He bows, and remains by the door.

Ian smiles sickeningly at me, holding up his arm. "May I escort you to my lovely study, oh, my beautiful love?"

I glare up at him, remaining motionless. Alistair shakes his head warningly, motioning me to link arms with him. I press my lips together and do as told. Prince Ian seems pleased. He walks me into his study.

"Hopefully, you gave my parents quite a hard time," he tells me after I sit down. He's walking around, playing around with his trinkets. "I would've killed to see them struggle with your immature manners."

I remain silent.

"Cat got your tongue?" he asks. He chuckles. "Alright, I know I'm being slightly... how could you put it... hmm..."

"Annoying?" I mutter under my breath.

"What was that again?"

"Nothing," I reply vacantly.

"Well, whatever," he says, finally taking a seat in front of me. "I think it'll be fun to see you waddling around in elegant clothes, trying to act like a princess. It'll make Nottingsburgh less boring."

I try to avoid looking at him, so instead, I inspect the room. My eyes linger on the pictures of King Vikram and him. Just like magazines report, they get along pretty well.

"Don't get fooled by those. King Vikram," he begins, pronouncing his father's title mockingly. "Set them there. I can't bear him."

I look away. King Vikram seemed like a nice person.

"Are yours as unbearable?" he asks, chewing on some nuts.

I bite my lower lip. "While they were here, they were great parents."

For the first time, human flashes in Ian. I can see regret and pity in his eyes. He shakes it off with a smile. "Better; more freedom."

I let out a scoff. Unbelievable.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he comments.

"Yeah, I was just wondering if you could be less rude-"

"Sorry to interrupt," Jake calls out, peaking his head in.

"Jake!" Ian exclaims. He stands up and pats his shoulder. "See, Amy dear, he's one of the only normal people here, along with Queen Olivia, Alistair, and Mark."

Jake smiles, looking both thankful and uncomfortable by the comment.

"Amy, I just want to clear some things up," Ian begins. "I know they probably told you I stalked you around school. But besides the fact that a friend of yours did most of the work, I only did it to get to know you better. Alistair wasn't supposed to find out about my involvement, but... he did."

"Actually, I didn't know that," I primly reply, holding a triumphant giggle back.

For the first time, he's speechless."Well," Jake says, breaking the tense silence. "I was just dropping by to see if everything was okay?"

Prince Ian smiles, glancing at me. "Oh, it is. I think we'll get along just fine. It'll be fun to see her stuck in the palace just like me."


	6. Hello Royalty

*insert brunette doodling*

Hey guys! Well, I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday (which completely ruined my daily update plan), but there was no internet in my house nearing the night, which is when I was planning to put up this document. Note: Amy's plan involving a blue-haired aunt and a Korean burrito-flavor inventor isn't the brightest out there, and that's because it isn't meant to be :P

* * *

_Amy's Playlist: Hello Seattle-Owl City_

I carry my suitcases downstairs. My family is expecting me, accompanied by Alistair.

"I'd think that you'd be helping me carry down my suitcases after the ordeal I'm in," I muse, chuckling and out of breath.

Nellie frowns. "We sent Dan to help you out..."

"He locked himself in his room," I say, finally reaching the last floor. "Said he had some business to attend to."

Alistair rushes to help me. "I'll take this one."

I nod, thankful.

"Oh, Mr. Oh, you don't have to do that!" Aunt Beatrice explains.

I frown. Her eyes are wide and doe-like, and her lips are slightly pursed into pouting. That's her signature flirting pose. I giggle. Looks like someone has a crush on the royal family's chauffeur/butler/assistant/confidant.

"Oh, it's alright, Ms. Cahill..." he replies, "or should I say, Mrs. Cahill?"

"Oh, I'm still a Miss," she informs with a flirty giggle.

Alistair smiles.

No way. I exchange amused glances with Nellie. Suddenly, an idea pops in my head. There's no doubt that this coming month will be the longest in my entire life. So how about keeping myself busy? I'll bring those two together. After reading Emma, I've always wanted to be a matchmaker. I'll just have to find a way to bring her to Nottinsburgh to make the plan have more chances of succeeding. I smile; it's a mission. I can already see it all. I'd make them think there was a dance, lock them in the ballroom, play some music, and they'll be forced to dance all night long until they fall in love.

"The SUV is here," Uncle Fiske announces.

The glee garnered from my plan suddenly vanishes.

"Dan! Rabbit-pie, come downstairs, it's time to say goodbye to your sister!" Aunt Beatrice exclaims, trying to sound classy and girly for Alistair.

"I'm in the bathroom!" Dan exclaims.

I sigh. "Bye Dan!"

"WOO! Vacation for a month!" he replies.

I roll my eyes light-heartedly, shaking my head. Then I turn to look back at my family. I feel a knot in my throat. It's not as if I'm not going to ever see them again. Nellie will still be teaching Home Ec., I'll make sure Aunt Beatrice drops by, and I'll be calling Fiske every afternoon. Plus, Mark promised me he'd try to get them to come at least once a week, since it's hard to get civilians to come inside, even if they're family of the fake future princess.

"This week went by too fast," Fiske tells me.

Nellie sighs, trying to lighten the mood with a smile. "Hey, she'll be back in a month."

Even Aunt Beatrice seems kind of gloomy now. "Yes, that's right. And she'll have an opportunity to socialize with the royal family."

Queen Isabel hates me, King Vikram is an awkward penguin, Queen Olivia is the only normal one, and Prince Ian is a cocky-

I stop myself. I always become a philosopher before sleeping and analyze my life. So I came to the conclusion that Ian was just bitter for some reason, and wasn't really like that. And, of course, that I'd try to be nice to him. Might as well become friends with him if I don't want to spend my favorite season huffing in frustration.

"It's time to go," Alistair says.

I jump and embrace my entire family. Even Saladin comes along, who I pick up and plant a kiss on his head.

"I'll miss you a lot," I tell him, smiling sadly.

He just looks at me with innocent eyes.

"I'll bring you some royal food," I promise him.

"I also want some royal food," Nellie replies.

I can't help but giggle amidst the situation. After saying good-bye to my family once more, I'm led to the SUV. There's a dark green Camaro parked across the street, which somehow seems familiar. However, I quickly forget that as I recognize the small Greensmoor flag on the front of the SUV. Most of the royal cars have two, but only one has one... the one who ran me over. I shake my head, smiling. Memories...

The car door is pushed open.

My smile disappears.

"Hello," Prince Ian announces with a smirk, patting the spot next to him.

Alistair throws me thumbs up for good luck before heading to his seat. I gaze back at my family, who are all smiling at me, before I turn to look back at Ian.

He is smiling mischievously.

_Remember, he is a bitter prince,_ I say to myself before smiling back and stepping inside. The door is pushed closed, and Ian is inspecting me.

"There'll be a press conference tomorrow," he tells me. "We'll make the announcement there."

My eyes widen. "So quickly?"

"What? Worried about the Sinead issue?" he asks.

I look down, biting my lower lip. "No?"

"It was her who asked me to escape, not the other way around."

My head snaps up. "What?"

"I said no, of course. I only like her as a friend," Prince Ian continues. "But people had heard bits of our conversation, so to not make her go through humiliation, I told that to the press."

I'm surprised. I never thought that such an arrogant guy would do such a thing. I gaze at him. Maybe my analysis was right. Maybe he isn't as mean as he appears to be.

"But that still doesn't help out in your situation," he replies. He chuckles. "It'll still seem as if I tried to escape from you... but since that only affects you, I don't need to help you out in that one."

Maybe.

He gets out a small gift bag. "Don't think I'd send such a childish thing. This is from Jake's part."

I grab it and read that small card. "But it says it's from you."

"He wanted it to seem like I was giving it to you," Ian replies, taking out a package of nuts.

"It's in your handwriting," I continue.

"Do you even know what my handwriting is like?" he asks, popping a nut inside his mouth.

"Well, I can suppose... especially because the message says 'You'll be amusing, I'm sure. How many times will you embarrass yourself? I'm counting on thrice a week.'," I read out loud.

Ian takes the card away. "I did not give this to you."

"Whatever you say," I murmur. I take out the cutest plush Egyptian Mau I have ever seen. "Awww, a replica of Saladin!"

"You like it?" he asks.

I try to suppress a smile. "Why would you want to know? Jake gave this to me."

Ian glares. "I'm just curious."

"Of course I do," I tell him, smiling. "Thanks."

"I didn't give it to you," he says, turning to look away and listen to music. But I can see the hint of a smile on his face.

However, I don't notice the dark green Camaro from before following us.

I turn to look at him. "By the way, is there any way to make two individuals think they're invited to a non-existing dance and then lock them in the ballroom? Especially if one of the individuals works in the castle and..."

I let my voice trail off, since Ian is giving me a _shut up_ look.


	7. Herds of Trouble

*insert brunette glaring at her internet provider*

Sorry, my internet has been failing lately! Well, this was the last pre-written chapter. I only have the main idea from the rest, so updates may not be daily anymore.

* * *

_Amy's Playlist: You Could Be Happy-Snow Patrol_

We finally reach the castle. However, this time, we're surrounded by herds of paparazzi. Even Ian seems surprised.

"What in the world?" he exclaims, sitting up.

I simply remain there, shocked.

Alistair quickly gets out of the car, and a group of security officers gather around the car. They open my door first, and begin to cover my face as much as possible. It all feels as if someone else is controlling me. I can't grasp the situation, and I'm just led to the inside of the castle. It isn't until I'm sitting down, drinking a cold glass of water, that I finally process what happened.

The entire palace is in chaos.

"How did the press find out?" Mark demands, glancing worriedly at me. "Did you make sure they didn't snap a picture of her?"

Alistair nods. "Yes, however-"

A palace official hands Mark a newspaper.

"-they know who she is."

Mark takes it and inspects the cover closely. "Unbelievable..."

"I-if I may ask... what's going on?" I inquire.

Mark and Alistair gaze at me worriedly.

"Let her see. She has a right to know," Ian orders, looking weary. He takes off his jacket and plops down next to me, exhaling.

Alistair hesitates, but he hands me the newspaper anyways.

As soon as I take it, I gasp. "No way... how... how did they get this?"

It's a picture of when I just started high school. I'm smiling at the camera, in my uniform, looking much, much younger than I do now. I don't care that I look goofy and immature with my pigtails. What bothers me is the fact that only my family owns this picture. But then again...

"I hear your aunt has a blog?" Mark asks me.

I nod. "That's right... I think this is the most recent picture of me she posted... but that post was nearly four years ago."

"Yes, we understand that," Mark tells me, sighing. He runs a hand through his hair. "What I don't understand is how in the world they knew it was you? Or... how did they even know your aunt owned a blog? They must've done a thorough investigation."

It's creepy. And worrying. And this is just the beginning. I can't imagine what's coming next.

"Notify security. From now on, she'll attend school with double protection, just like the Prince. If something this big happened today, then we can't imagine what will happen next," Mark says.

"What if she rides in the same car as I?" Ian suggests.

My head snaps to my right. I had understood that he was the one to ask for me to drive in a different car.

"That'll be more..." Ian seems to be looking for the right words to say.

I don't understand what his point is, but Mark seems to.

"Alright, we'll make arrangements for that," Mark says.

I sigh. School; it'll definitely be hard now.

After a few minutes, they take me to my room. I sit next to a desk near my bed, wondering what will happen next. What trouble have I gotten myself into?

Someone knocks on my door.

I turn to look behind me, and my face instantly brightens as I spot Jake. "Hey!"

"Hey," he replies with a smile. "May I come in?"

"Sure," I say. I stand up, smoothing down my clothes.

He walks in, gazing at my suitcases and the unpacked plush animals. He chuckles, and I turn red. Does he think I'm childish now?

"Those are... um..."

"No need to explain," he cuts in, grinning. "Don't tell anyone, but I still have a teddy bear from back when I was a baby. It's nice to have it nearby."

I smile, nodding.

"Well, I just came by to ask if you were okay. I understand you were sort of ambushed back in the entrance," he explains.

"Oh, I'm fine. Slightly uncomfortable, and worried," I reply, giggling nervously.

"Jake!" Ian exclaims, coming inside. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to say hi to Amy," Jake explains, briefly glancing at me. He smiles. "I've got to go. See you two later?"

"Of course," Ian replies, gazing at me.

I cross my arms as Jake leaves.

As soon as the door closes, Ian bursts out laughing.

I frown. "What?"

"I'm just laughing at how obvious you are," Ian replies, smirking triumphantly. "You like Jake, right?"

I scoff. "There you go with your stupid assumptions."

"Alistair had also mentioned it-"

"He told you?" I exclaim, gasping. The old dude is not trustworthy.

Again, there are rounds of laughter. "No, but I guess he also noticed."

My eyes widen. He's tricked me.

"Look, it's okay if you have a crush on him. And even though Jake might know that you're not really my fiancée, I still think it would be proper if you didn't blush so much around him," Ian suggests. "Now, Alistair sent me to explain some of the palace rules. So pay close attention."

* * *

"Sinead... please come in."

Sinead makes her way to her mother's room. Once there, she smiles politely as she spots her uncle, Damien Vesper.

"Hello, Sinead," he greets, looking proud. "I heard from your mother that you did your job correctly. Everybody thinks that Ian wanted to escape with you, right?"

"That's right, Uncle," she replies, taking a seat next to her mother.

"I'm sure that the infidelity rumors will now seem more believable," Mrs. Starling comments. She turns to look at her daughter. "However, you'll have to work harder now. We need you to create opportunity for them to start."

Sinead nods. She tries to sound as a truly curious daughter when she asks, "Mother... why do we want to pin Prince Ian with infidelity rumors?"

Mrs. Starling smiles. She sets her tea down, gazing at Uncle Damien. "Should we tell her?"

"I think it's proper for her to know," Uncle Damien states.

Mrs. Starling turns to look at Sinead. "Dear, you might've heard that the previous plans to steal the royal crown had to be halted due to this engagement?"

Sinead nods.

"Well, we quickly came up with a new plan," Mrs. Starling continues. "It'll be easier to help the Rosenblooms snake their way to the throne if the future heir begins to disobey and act improperly. And what better way to do so than making the Prince a cheating jerk?"

"And that will fully work?" Sinead inquires.

"That's just the beginning. The plan is not yet developed completely, but Mark thinks that will be a good start: stain the Prince's name," Mrs. Starling explains. "Plus, from what Jake tells us, the Amy girl has a crush on him. That may come to our favor."


End file.
